Air Museum Will Display War Planes

TITUSVILLE — The most recent acquisition for the Valiant Air Command's museum, which is scheduled to open in January, is proof that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

The acquisition - a pile of wood and steel with wires and fabric hanging from its frame - is what's left of a British-made Avro Anson. In the hangar at VAC headquarters beside the skeletal fuselage sits the aircraft's metal tail and wings and its twin engines with wooden props.

The Avro Anson was originally designed to carry bombs during World War II, but it was discovered the bombs were too heavy for the plane. The warbird was then used as a reconnaissance and transport plane and eventually became a crew trainer.

The VAC plans to restore this pile of steel, wood and wires to its original state and add it to the group's growing fleet of war birds. This will mark its place in aviation history, as there is only one other of its kind flying in the world today.

The aircraft, which was discovered inside an old barn on a British farm, was bought by Bev and Don Lockler, Dick Fields, Bob James and Barry Holm for $8,000 and donated to the VAC for restoration. It took more than a year to have the aircraft dismantled and shipped to the United States.

Restoration of the aircraft, which can take up to five years, is an important part of what the VAC and the air museum is all about. Restoration projects will be done by volunteers and members of the war-bird group. A portion of the air museum display hangar will be devoted to the projects.

''One of the primary goals of the Valiant Air Command is to teach the skills needed to maintain these war birds,'' said Bill Noriega, executive director of the group. ''It's a lost art. The only way we have to perpetuate the art and pass on the knowledge is to hand it down from one generation to another.''

Through the years the VAC has collected vintage aircraft and artifacts from World War II for display at the air museum at Space Center Executive Airport. Construction of the main display hangar is almost complete.

If construction continues as expected, the 36,480 square-foot museum will open to the public in January. It will include a two-story section for displays and executive offices. The building will house display cases with various exhibits including many of the World War II memorabilia and artifacts that have been collected.

VAC aircraft to be displayed in the new museum hangar include a rare 1938 Lockheed 10-A-Electra, the same type that Amelia Earhart piloted on her ill-fated around-the-world flight. There are only five similar aircraft registered.

A C-47, a C-45, a T-6, an L-5, a P-51 and a B-25 also will be on display. The C-47, also known as the Dakota Sky Train, was used during the invasion of Normandy. Commercially it is the same as the DC-3 passenger plane.

The C-45 is another rare aircraft that was used for bombardier and navigator training during World War II. One of the many versions of the C-45 was the Beech AT-11.

The air museum, which has been a 7-year-old dream, finally began taking shape in spring when the first shovel of dirt was turned on the project, which will include eight acres of airport land. The museum is being built with funds raised through donations and proceeds from the VAC's annual air shows as well as a $250,000 state grant.

Despite setbacks over the years, including a tornado that damaged part of the new building and its materials earlier this summer, Noriega says the museum can open in January and definitely will be open for the next VAC Warbird Air Show in March.

''There are still some modifications I'd like to see made to the original plans, but I still believe the whole thing can be done in 90 days as long as everyone can see the same goals,'' he said.